On September 13, I will celebrate my Nonno and Nonna’s Day. Every year I go to Holy Cross Cemetery to put a bouquet of red and yellow roses at their grave site. This is my way of showing love and respect to my father’s parents.
I have never had the pleasure of meeting my beloved “Nonno and Nonna.” They died before I was born. Family members have shared stories of how no one could break their bond; and of how their children’s welfare was always important to them. When I see them in pictures, I see so much of myself in their eyes and expressions.
When life gets tough for me, I remember what they went through to give our family a better life. I push forward because I will not let their hard work be in vain. As I stand by their grave and cross myself to open the communication with God, I recite, “The Lord’s Prayer”. My emotions are bubbling through my body. When I finish the prayer, I tell my grandparents how much I appreciate their courageous travel across the ocean at such
young ages. They both had the same thought; they wanted to give their future generations a better life, hopeful that the streets were paved in gold. There would be fortunes in America to
give them a good life.
Raffaele Pasquariello, at the age of 11, along with his parents and his two younger brothers (Giovanni and Orazio) sailed across the Atlantic Ocean. They arrived in 1888 and settled in South Philadelphia. The area they chose to live in was an area that was dominated by southern Italian immigrants. It was good to be with many other fellow countrymen from Marsico Nuovo, Italia. This felt more like Italia with the same language, customs and especially the types of food they enjoyed.
On September 13, 1899, Geltrude Carmela Di Lullo arrived in America. She came here with $4.00 in her dress pocket. She also came from a southern small village called Ateleta from the Abruzzo region. She was an Italian beauty with dark hair, piercing eyes and a beautiful shade of olive skin. Geltrude stood maybe five feet tall but her genuine personality made her appear to be a giant. Her mind and heart were strong and caring towards everyone.
As Raffaele became a young man, he grew into a well-groomed, handsome gentleman. All the girls wanted to be his bride. But when he first saw Geltrude, she captured his mind and heart. He couldn’t take his eyes off of her. For Geltrude it was love at first sight. Whenever he was near, she became giddy just standing next to him. Later in life, she would often say that her heart still goes pitter-patter when she is near him.
Within eight months, they were married and started a life together. Nonno was a produce “huckster.” After many children he became a bartender on Dock Street to make more money for their growing family. He was a great bartender because of his friendly way towards the patrons who frequented his bar. He would consider everyone his paisan.
Nonna on the other hand was content to stay home and take care of their nine children. She would cook his favorite Italian meals for him. To get Nonna upset, he would tell her that his mother was the finest Italian cook. There is a story that is still shared in our family: One evening Nonno was teasing Nonna about his mother’s cooking, saying it was the tastiest!
Nonna was so upset that she picked up the bowl of macaroni and poured it over his head. All of the children were shocked at first, but when Nonno started to laugh, Nonna began to chuckle and the children all joined in. Nonna didn’t take any of his nonsense about her cooking, and his teasing about it stopped that evening.
Usually after supper, the children would finish any school homework they had while Nonno and Nonna would still be at the table drinking their coffee. They would talk about their day and about their children’s needs. The children, in later years, would talk about how they could hear their laughter through the house. They were still in love and lighthearted. Their home always was loving and fun for the family.
After 21 years of being the love of Geltrude’s life, Raffaele passed away leaving her a widow. She rose to the challenge to make sure her children never went hungry. She was always self-assured and never frightened at life’s obstacles. For the next three years, she and six of her children worked the fields of a farm in New Jersey from April till the first frost. These months were dreadful living in a small shack on the farm. The oldest three children stayed in Philadelphia because they had jobs in the clothing factories.
Nonna was religious, every Sunday they all went to church as a family. The rest of the day was preparing for the next six days. Washing the clothes by hand in a metal tub and cooking their favorite Italian dishes. Not a Sunday went by without their meatballs and gravy over their homemade spaghetti.
On Monday, February 23, 1925, Nonna slipped her hand into Nonno’s hand and they walked into eternity together. She missed him every day for those four years. They left a beautiful legacy to their children that was priceless, “No matter how hard life is, just keep moving forward. Don’t look back because if you do, you can only see yesterday.”
Because their blood warms my veins and part of their spirit lies within my soul, I explore life’s journey with open eyes and an open heart. I know I have only one life to live and I will live it to its fullest. To me, my Nonno and Nonna are no ordinary people; they are what my ancestors were made of. “True Italian explorers of Life.”
Because of their bravery, they have over 300 descendants here in America.
Josephine B. Pasquarello
Author
(267) 441- 0997
www.josephinebpasquarello.org
[email protected]
